St. Louis extends Code Blue Level 4 through Friday morning as extreme cold persists citywide

Emergency shelter expansion remains in place as temperatures stay dangerous

The City of St. Louis has extended its highest cold-weather response, Code Blue Level 4, through Friday morning, January 30, 2026. The extension keeps more than 600 emergency shelter beds available in addition to the city’s baseline of 400 year-round beds, maintaining a total capacity of roughly 1,000 beds available day and night during the activation.

City officials said the expanded capacity has been available daily since Friday, January 23, and that shelter capacity has not been exceeded during the current Level 4 period. The continued activation reflects sustained risk from low temperatures and wind chills, which increase the danger of exposure for people without reliable access to heated indoor space.

What Level 4 means and how the response is structured

Code Blue is the city’s inclement-weather shelter protocol, designed to scale resources when cold conditions create heightened public safety risks. Level 4 represents full activation, including the maximum surge-bed expansion, full operation of warming sites, and expanded transportation support.

Under Level 4, the city activates a Winter Weather Unified Command structure that coordinates efforts across departments and partner agencies. The response includes outreach and transportation assistance aimed at moving people from outdoor locations to indoor shelter and warming facilities.

Walk-up shelter locations and transportation options

During the extended Level 4 period, walk-up shelter remains available at multiple sites across the city. These locations are positioned to provide geographic coverage in North, Central, and South St. Louis.

• North City: Peter & Paul – Jugan Shelter, 3225 N. Florissant Ave. (single men, single women, and family rooms)
• Central City: Biddle Housing Opportunities Center, 1212 N. 13th St. (single men only)
• South City: Peter & Paul – Kingshighway Shelter, 3205 S. Kingshighway Blvd. (single men, single women)
• South City: Peter & Paul – Sidney Shelter, 112 Sidney St. (single men, single women)
• South City: Peter & Paul – California Shelter, 3127 California Ave. (single men, single women)

For people who need family space or accommodations for pets, additional options are available through coordinated placement. Transportation to shelter also continues, including evening pickup windows from designated rally points, with supplemental arrangements available when standard routes are not sufficient.

Code Blue Level 4 keeps shelters operating with expanded capacity day and night while transportation remains active to connect residents to available beds.

Broader winter operations remain linked to severe weather conditions

The extension follows a period of winter storm conditions and sustained extreme cold that led the city to expand shelter operations and coordinate broader winter response measures. City communications in recent days have tied shelter planning to weather-driven operational needs, including staffing, transportation logistics, and the ability to keep services running during extended cold snaps.

Officials have indicated that Code Blue activations are adjusted based on forecast conditions and utilization patterns, with the stated goal of keeping emergency capacity available before shelters reach critical limits.